After 18 long years of hard work, Lingyen Mountain Temple (Canada) finally obtained the building permit for its third phase construction. The Groundbreaking and Purification Ceremony was held on the morning of July 18, 2021 from 9:30 to 10:30. Even though the pandemic has been settling down in British Columbia, the temple decided to stream the ceremony online in order to accord with provincial regulations, and keep everyone as safe as possible. To still allow long-time supporters of the temple and people from all over the world to participate, the temple especially planned a route to allow everyone to drive into the temple and watch the ceremony from inside their cars. To ensure everyone’s safety, all the participating Dharma Masters, supporters and volunteers wore face masks for the entire event. Starting early in the morning of July 18, professional traffic control personnel as well as temple volunteers directed the many cars that arrived for the event into the temple safely and orderly. At the end of the ceremony, the participants were allowed to drive around the construction site. Approximately 260 cars, and 800 people participated in this special day. Regardless of their physical location, people all over the world participated in the ceremony online as well.

The ceremony began with the supervisor of the construction, Dharma Master Shiu Chie’s opening address. She expressed how even though the third phase construction has been through 18 years of challenges, she reminds herself of the Founding Abbot, Venerable Master Miao Lien’s compassionate vows to complete the monastery, and of how sentient beings in this Dharma-Ending Age live in a world of unrest. She said, “In times like this, we need a Compassionate Vessel to guide sentient beings even more. I am thankful for the protection of the Three Treasures and support from followers. Of course, I would like to express gratitude toward the land donor of the first and second phase of the temple, allowing monastic members to settle and cultivate while propagating the Buddhadharma. However, with not enough space, the third phase land donor came forth, and that is what started the current construction plans. I would like to thank all Dharma supporters and followers for their support, and all the circumstances that led toward today’s success. The temple’s gate has been closed for the last two years due to the pandemic, but the Buddha’s gate is never closed. Under the leadership of our Venerable Abbot, we continue to share Buddhism with the entire world through the internet. I would also like to thank the construction team for continuing to work on the third phase plans throughout the past two years. It is not easy to display Eastern architecture in a Western environment. Today’s event is a beginning, and I would like to ask all virtuous supporters to continue supporting the Lingyen monastery, and dedicate all the resulting merits toward peace in the world and prosperity of the country. Finally, I wish that all supporters and those who see and hear enjoy peace, safety and auspiciousness in everything they do; in the future, may we all be reborn in the Western Pure Land and realize Buddhahood together.”

Dharma Master Tze Sung presided over the Purification Ceremony, and purified the entire third phase construction site with Sweet Dew water. The ceremonial Masters led resident Masters, the construction team, and Dharma supporter representatives to circumambulate the site as they recited the Great Compassion Mantra together. They dedicated the merits toward peace and tranquility for the monastery, and the smooth and expeditious completion of the construction, so that it can benefit all sentient beings. After the Declaration by the presiding Dharma Master, everyone listened to peaceful chanting of the Buddha’s name as they watched as the excavator made the first three digs into the ground, symbolizing the official start of the third phase construction. All participants gave their warmest applause as they witnessed and celebrated this historic moment.

To conclude the ceremony, our Venerable Abbot, Dharma Master Tze Cheng joined us online from Taiwan to share some compassionate words of encouragement. The Venerable Abbot said: “After hearing the good news, I thought of when Shakyamuni Buddha became enlightened. More and more disciples wanted to follow in his footsteps, so there needed to be monasteries built in order to give Sangha members a place to practice the Buddha’s instructions, and give all followers a place to go and listen to the Buddha’s teachings and have their questions answered. Through these interactions, people found answers to their questions and afflictions. After the Buddha entered Nirvana, Buddhism spread to China, and because of the establishment of monasteries, Buddhist teachings have been able to live on in this world. Twenty years ago, our Venerable Master Miao Lien traveled overseas to Canada to propagate the Dharma, and established Lingyen Mountain Temple (Canada). After the first and second phases were completed, the Venerable Master gave many instructions for the third phase construction. All of us disciples could feel the Venerable Master’s two main vows: First, to guide all sentient beings to chant the Buddha’s name and be reborn in the Western Pure Land, and second, to nurture skilled individuals and strengthen Buddhist disciples by bringing them together. We are not building monasteries for our own enjoyment. A monastery is a place to pursue Bodhi, a place of awakening. We are building this temple in accord with the Buddha’s and the Venerable Master’s goals—to share this Dharma of awakening with the entire world. Wherever there is a temple, sentient beings will be able to learn the ways to liberation. This year, due to the pandemic, we are holding today’s ceremony in a special way. The Dharma supporters and followers here today have witnessed this moment. I hope that everyone will work together with the Masters to complete this great monastery that will carry on ancient traditions as well as create possibilities for the future, so that everyone who has the affinity to step inside Lingyen Mountain Temple, regardless of their race, cultural background, and religious beliefs, can recognize the concept that all sentients beings are equal, and everyone has the Buddha Nature. I also wish that our temple will be completed soon: “May we plant lotus seeds of the Western Pure Land all over the three thousand worlds of the East.” After the ceremony, everyone here is invited to drive around the construction site. The Masters and volunteers will give out gifts to each and every participant.

Lingyen Mountain Temple (Canada) follows the traditions of ancient forest monasteries and the teachings of Patriarch Yin Kuang, working hard to propagate the Pure Land Dharma method, upholding the precepts and chanting the Buddha’s name. Through the guidance of the Founding Abbot, Venerable Master Miao Lien’s compassionate vows and the help of virtuous supporters everywhere, the temple officially opened to the public in 1999. Since then, the temple has grown steadily over the years, hosting various Dharma services and educational programs every year, allowing people of all ages to learn about the Buddhadharma and benefit from the Buddha’s kindness. Since space quickly became insufficient, the greatly compassionate Venerable Master repeatedly gave instructions to establish the third phase of the monastery. This touched a greatly virtuous supporter to donate the land which will now be the site of the third phase construction.

Since submitting its initial application in 2003, the third phase construction proposal has been through all kinds of hardships, ups and downs. After three submissions and three withdrawals, the proposal finally passed through the third reading at the City Hall Public Hearing in June, 2016. The fourth reading was completed in November, 2017, and we respectfully invited Venerable Master Yuan Zong to preside over the Groundbreaking Ceremony in June, 2018. Under the leadership of our Venerable Abbot, and after many brainstorming sessions with our architect and construction team to plan the building details, the construction permit was finally obtained on June 24, 2021. The construction officially began on July 18, moving towards a new milestone!

The third phase construction of Lingyen Mountain Temple (Canada) includes a magnificent Main Buddha Hall which will enshrine the Three Treasure Buddhas, with a Patriarch Hall, Longevity Hall and Memorial Hall to its sides. Below the Main Buddha Hall will be the Dining Hall, kitchen, and Information Centre. There will be a central courtyard, with a Dharma Protector Hall, Manjusri Hall, and Samantabhadra Hall in the front. To the south will be a Buddhist Education Centre, with a Guan Yin Hall, Conference Centre, Presentation Room, classrooms, Venerable Master Miao Lien Memorial Hall, Administrative offices, and dormitory rooms. The completion of the third phase construction will allow Buddhist teachings to be spread throughout and flourish in the West, and serve a significant function in cultural exchange and social education.

Nevertheless, the construction of a monastery cannot be completed alone; it will depend on everyone’s united support in order to serve its function of benefiting all sentient beings. We invite you to contribute to the Temple Construction Fund, and plant a seed in the temple’s field of blessings. You will find the categories of contributions on our website www.lymtcanada.com, or call the temple at 604-271-0009. We hope everyone will take advantage of this rare opportunity to cultivate blessings and wisdom as we build this Great Compassionate Vessel that belongs to every one of us, and create a pure Buddha Land for generations to come, bringing inner tranquility and joy to people everywhere.